text:
Brand new TA Specialities Alize inner chainring made of AL7075 alloy for a strong and durable chainring.
The chainring is compatible with Shimano 9/10/11-speed 130mm BCD 5-bolt crankset.
- Brand new
- For Shimano 9/10/11-speed
- 130mm BCD
- For 5-bolt
- AL7075 alloy
*Please be aware that access points and shop delivery have been suspended in some countries due to the Coronavirus. Please choose Home Delivery if possible in your country.
See UPS updates here: https://www.ups.com/dk/en/service-alerts.page?id=alert1
EMS update: Packages to Hong Kong can have delays.
We deliver our packages to customers worldwide.
Our packages are shipped with either UPS, FedEx, DHL, or EMS depending on your choice and the delivery country and are insured with a tracking number. Your tracking number can be found in the mail and text you receive after the purchase.
Our shipping prices are based on the package's total volume weight, and are set from our cost price including fuel fee.
Countries within EU will receive free shipping on orders above 150€.
*Only our cheapest shipping method will be for free.
For more information please read our page delivery.
You have the right to return your purchase within 14 days for a refund.
You will have your order refund back within 14 days after we receive your package.
We do not pay for return shipping fee.
For more information, please visit our page returns.
What is my size?
To find your size can be difficult – specially when there are many different brands which have different fittings, but don't worry we are here to help you.
The model on all product pictures is 182 cm high and weights 73 kg, and uses size Small in most of the products. You can fill the formular below, send it, and afterwards we will send you a mail on which size you need. It is also necessary to link the products (Or the SKU) that you are interested in, because most of the brands can be different in the size.
We will always advice our customers to ride in tight clothes. You can read more in the other tab "It has to sit tight".
It has to sit tight
If you ever are in doubt about how tight a cycling jersey or your bib-shorts are supposed to be on you – there are some things to be aware of. The tighter the better – a good example of why this is important could be the bib-shorts. If you go for a longer ride and your shorts is not tight, you might end up with with pain in your bum – You always want to make sure, that everything is "in place" and does not move while riding this is something you can insure by using bib-shorts sitting tight on you, you will properly get a more comfortable ride.
Another thing to be aware of is that when you use cycling clothes sitting tight on you will break the wind better, which will result in better aerodynamic.
Need help?
Get personal and professional support
Jacob Ravn Eriksen
Customer Responsible
We have many years of experience within the cycling world.
You are always welcome to contact us if you have any questions. We answer emails within 24 hours.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Simple, clean and modern Social Media stationery package.
Simple to work with and highly customizable, it ca be easely adjusted to fit your needs.
All layeres are well named and organized.
High quality fully layered and fully editable PSD templates. Print Ready, CMYK, 300 dpi with bleed and guidelines.
Pakage includes:
1. Business Card 2. Poket Folder 3. CD Covers and CD Label 4. C5 Envelope 5. Letterhead 6. Invoice
Font used is Sansation. Details in the Help file.


text:
If you are doing more than one mssql_query(), you must do a mssql_free_result() to avoid undesirable results of mssql_fetch_batch()
(PHP 4 >= 4.0.4, PHP 5, PECL odbtp >= 1.1.1)
mssql_fetch_batch — Retorna o próximo lote de registros
) : int
Retorna o próximo lote de registros
O resource do resultado que foi avaliado. Este resultado é o que foi retornado ao chamar a mssql_query().
Retorna o número do lote como inteiro.
Exemplo #1 Exemplo mssql_fetch_batch()
$resDb = mssql_connect('localhost', 'user', 'name');
$result = mssql_query('SELECT * FROM MYTABLE', $resDb, 10000);
$intNumRows = mssql_num_rows($result);
while ($intNumRows > 0) {
while ($arrRow = mssql_fetch_assoc($result)) {
// Do stuff ...
$intNumRows = mssql_fetch_batch($result);
If you are doing more than one mssql_query(), you must do a mssql_free_result() to avoid undesirable results of mssql_fetch_batch()
I was having issues doing two different select queries with batch sizes in the same connection. The first one would run fine, the second one would always return one batch + 1 record (ie. batch size on the 2nd query was 250000 records, it would stop after 250001 and say it was complete even though there should have been 3m+ records).
I was able to overcome this by disconnecting from the DB (via mssql_close($conn);) and reconnecting before I ran the second query. Now my second query returns all the records I need.
Though I would write this here as there is little to no documentation on this issue, and it may only be affecting me. I am connecting from Linux (RHEL5) to SQL Server 2005 on the network, using FreeTDS. If you have this same issue, try the above and it may work for you.
This demonstrates the return value:
$connect = mssql_connect("databasename", "username", "password");
$sql = "SELECT * FROM huge_table"; // returns 3271 rows, for example
$qry = mssql_query($SQL, $connect, 1000); // 1000 Rows batchsize
$batchsize = mssql_num_rows($qry);
print "$batchsize
\r\n";
do {
$batchsize = mssql_fetch_batch($qry);
print "$batchsize
\r\n";
} while ($batchsize); // get the next batch until end
This could be usefull if you have a large dataset:
$qry = mssql_query("SELECT * FROM huge_table", $conn, 1000); // 1000 Rows batchsize
do {
while ($row = mssql_fetch_row($qry)) {
// do something like
} while (mssql_fetch_batch($navqry)); // get the next batch until end


text:
Joker.com under DDoS Protection
As an additional reaction to recent DDoS attacks on Joker.com nameservers, we are proud to announce that our nameservers now run behind a DDoS protection shield, provided by GigeNET*.
We use GigeNET's DDoS Protection Services to help mitigate these attacks,
and keep nameservers online.
Since these DDoS attacks seem to become rather 'popular' lately, we decided to invest into our customer's security and services availability.
Now registering domains with Joker.com and using our nameservers is safer than ever.
*GigeNET is a premier provider of both Cloud Server and Dedicated Servers. Getting a Cloud Server has never been as cheap and easy as it is now!


text:
N.J. issues first permit for legal pot growing
(AP) TRENTON, N.J. - New Jersey has issued its first permit for a nonprofit group to grow medical marijuana legally.
The state Department of Health announced the permit for Montclair-based Greenleaf Compassion Center on Monday.
A second permit would need to be granted before the center can begin selling pot to patients. A crop is expected to take three to four months to grow, and the state says a permit to sell would come as the first crop is ready.
Greenleaf is one of six centers chosen last year by the state to grow and sell cannabis. But it's one of just two that have announced locations with local approvals.
The Montclair group says it has a cultivation site but has not disclosed where it is.


text:
The Munich Motet Choir was founded in 1960 by a group of music students from Munich University. Today, with around 120 members, it is one of Germany's most celebrated, most adventurous mixed concert choirs.
Despite its name, the Munich Motet Choir's repertoire is not restricted to early music but ranges from Monteverdi right through to the 21st century. Its fame came about mainly through its interpretations of Carl Orff's Carmina Burana, which it performed in the presence of the composer and for Orff's centenary celebrations in 1995. Other 20th century works by composers such as Britten, Honegger and Poulenc are programmed alongside very recent compositions by Schneider, Hiller and Ben-Haim. The choir has a policy of musically commentating on current events or historical anniversaries (armistice, Kristallnacht). Most frequently it can be heard in the Episcopal Church of St. Matthew at Sendlinger-Tor-Platz in Munich.
To nyttige hurtigtaster for å zoome i nettleseren:
Forstørre: +
Forminske: +
Mer hjelp får du fra nettleserleverandøren ved å klikke på ikonet:


text:
Couple upset with sandwich accused of attacking Subway clerk
A Houston couple who didn't like their sandwich service took it out on the food preparer and on Friday were in the Harris County Jail charged with robbery.
Bryan O'Neal Jeter, 28, and Brandi Ladawn Vance, 30, of Houston, ordered sandwiches about 11:45 a.m. Jan. 18 at a Subway restaurant in the 6700 block of Hillcroft.
Vance became angry with the service and allegedly cursed and spat at the woman making her sandwich, according to the arrest warrant.
As she and Jeter walked out of the restaurant, the clerk followed them with her cell phone in an attempt to take a photo of their Ford Explorer, the arrest warrant states.
Vance walked back to the clerk, pulled her hair and pushed her to the passenger side of a vehicle, records state.
Under instruction from Vance, Jeter took the clerk's cell phone, according to the arrest warrant.
Vance then pushed the clerk to the ground and kicked her in the face several times, causing her eyeglasses to fall off, records state.
Nonetheless, the clerk saw Vance pick up the glasses and keep them, records state.
The couple then drove off, but the clerk was able to record the license plate number.
According to law enforcement records, the defendants were arrested Tuesday and both remained in jail Friday, with bonds of $10,000 for Vance and $20,000 for Jeter.
Investigators found a 2012 family-violence offense report on Jeter initiated by Vance, who claimed she was pregnant by him and wanted him removed from her apartment, records state.


text:
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Nearby, have a large bowl of ice water ready.
Trim the haricots verts into 3-inch pieces and blanch them in boiling water for about 1 ½ to 2 minutes.
Transfer the beans with a slotted spoon to the ice water to immediately stop the cooking process. Drain them in a colander.
In the same boiling water, cook the onions for about 5 minutes and transfer to a colander.
Peel and halve the onions and transfer them to a bowl.
The vegetables may be prepared a day ahead of time up until this point. Make sure they are cooled completely, and chilled in a sealable plastic bag.
Cut the chanterelles in half or quarters, if they are large. In a heavy skillet, heat the unsalted butter over moderate heat until the foam subsides. Cook the mushrooms with salt to taste, stirring occasionally, for about 2 or 3 minutes, or until they are tender.
Add the peas and cook another 2 minutes, or until they are a bright green.
Add the beans, onions, and potatoes, and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are just heated through.
Stir in the chives and season with salt and pepper.


text:
Welcome To Caley Marina, Inverness
Whether you use boats every day as part of your work or you're a fair weather sailor, it's good to know that you can rely on someone to look after both you and your craft.
Caley Marina has been supplying and maintaining boats for people just like you for over forty years. We know a thing or two about keeping your boat serviceable and seaworthy.
You see, we don't just sell boats. At Caley Marina you'll find a full range of specialist engineering services and technical support. This means we can look after everything between the bottom of your keel and the top of your mast, inside and outside your hull.
That means rigging, outboard and inboard motors, electrical and electronic systems, heaters, anchors, woodwork, metalwork, antifouling, winterising, mechanical repairs and anything else you need to keep your craft ship-shape. Engineering and boat maintenance services from Caley Marina are comprehensive and second to none. If you want a well-maintained and reliable boat, you need a technical resource like ours.
For all those bits you need for your boat! Ropes, navigation systems and Admiralty charts, waterproof clothing, parts and safety equipment – in fact everything you need to make your boat and your crew just that little bit more comfortable, fun, efficient or safe – you can find it all at the Caley Marina showroom.
Winterising Service
The best way to make sure your boat is protected from the elements and ready to give you sterling service next season, is to winterise it at Caley Marina. You can have your boat stored afloat or onshore with every vital system conditioned and made ready for whatever the winter months bring.
So that when it's time to take to the water again, your boat is ready when you are!
Volvo Penta Marine Engines
Sales, Maintenance & Repair
Caley Marina are specialists in helping you to specify, maintain and repair your Volvo Penta marine engine.
Helping you to look after your investment in reliable propulsion for your boat.


text:
COMVITA PRODUCTS Propolis Extract (Alcohol Free) 15 PLF 25ml
Comvita Propolis Extract PFL15 contains Propolis, which is created by bees from the natural resin produced by trees as part of their defence system. Honeybees collect the resin, mix in the beeswax and enzymes, and use it to protect the hive.
Comvita Propolis Extract PFL15 helps maintain a healthy immune system and supports oral hygiene. Propolis contains high levels of a range of bioflavanoids and well known antioxidant properties.
Comvita Propolis Extract PFL15 is easy to use, gentle and soothing on the throat, water soluble, and ideal for people who want the full health-giving benefits of propolis without taking alcohol.


text: Talk about sign of the times: you can now send your kid to school with a "bullet resistant" shield in their backpack. I think it's actually bullet-proof, but less chance of a lawsuit if you just say bullet resistant. Heck, I think it's a good idea. If you're a scout, you ought to have one of these handy, eh? I suppose it would be a bad image if they start carrying these things in college bookstores. I'd like to have one, though I'm not sure what I'd do with it.


text:
California Gold Nutrition, DHA 700 Fish Oil, Pharmaceutical Grade, 1,000 mg, 30 Fish Gelatin Softgels
Flash Deals are limited time, limited quantity promotions, so act fast! Limited to: 1 unit of 1 flash deal product per order. If you order more than one unit or re-order or order other flash deals, you will pay our regular low price. Flash Deals are ineligible from all other promotions.
California Gold Nutrition, DHA 700 Fish Oil, Pharmaceutical Grade, 1,000 mg, 30 Fish Gelatin Softgels
- Expiration Date: July 2023
Shipping Weight:?0.08 kgSwitch to Imperial unitsShipping WeightThe Shipping Weight includes the product, protective packaging material and the actual shipping box. In addition, the Shipping Weight may be adjusted for the Dimensional Weight (e.g. length, width & height) of a package. It is important to note that certain types of products (e.g. glass containers, liquids, fragile, refrigerated or ice packed) will often require protective packaging material. As such, these products will reflect a higher Shipping Weight compared to the unprotected product.
- Product Code: CGN-01252
- UPC Code: 898220012527
- Package Quantity: 30 Count
9.1 x 8.9 x 4.8 cm , 0.06 kgSwitch to Imperial units
- New Look! Same Great Formula!
Positively one of the highest quality fish oils in the world! Compare
iTested Verified
Try Risk-Free for 90 Days.?
Product Rank:
- California Gold Nutrition® DHA 700 Pharmaceutical Grade Fish Oil
- Exclusively using KD-Pür® IFOS™ 5-Star Rated Fish Oil Concentrate Processed in Germany
- 700 mg of DHA per 1000 mg Softgel - One Softgel a Day!
- 30 Fish Gelatin Softgels (Porcine & Bovine Free) Manufactured in California, USA
- Preferred Triglyceride Form & Cholesterol Free
- Supports: Healthy Brain, Cardiovascular Function & Inflammatory Response*
- Formulated to Contain: No Gluten – No GMOs – No Soy
- Produced in a 3rd Party Audited cGMP Registered (Certified) Facility
- iTested Quality Confirmed & 100% Gold Guarantee
DHA is the most abundant fatty acid in the brain and has been associated with health benefits such as a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, healthy brain function and healthy inflammatory responses and processes throughout the body.*
DHA 700, by California Gold Nutrition®, is exclusively made with KD-PÜR® IFOS™ 5-Star Rated Fish Oil Concentrate in an ultra-concentrated, once-daily porcine and bovine free fish gelatin softgel. Per dose, DHA 700 offers the highest quality fish oil in the world offered at the best overall value.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Omega-3s & Immunity
Omega-3s, Vitamin B and Alzheimer's Disease
iTested Verified
Suggested Use
Take 1 softgel 1 or more times daily, with or without food. Best when taken as directed by a qualified healthcare professional.
Other Ingredients
Fish Oil Concentrate¹ - 700 mg DHA per 1000 mg Softgel
The ultra-concentrated DHA Fish Oil used in our DHA 700 softgels is manufactured under strict quality control standards. It is tested to be free of potentially harmful levels of contaminants (e.g., heavy metals [mercury], PCB's, dioxins, and other contaminants).
¹Contains fish from Peru & Chile (sardines, anchovies & mackerels).
Other Ingredients
Fish Gelatin Softgels (no porcine & no bovine), (Gelatin [from Tilapia], Non--GMO Glycerin, Water), Vitamin E (< 0.2% as natural mixed tocopherols).
The Fish Gelatin used in our softgels is approved for pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and foods and meets all world regulatory health standards (e.g., EU, USA, Korean, Japanese, Canadian and Australian Regulations).
†Supportive but not conclusive research shows that consumption of EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.
Not manufactured with milk, eggs, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, corn, gluten, salt, starch, sugar or yeast. Produced in a third-party, audited and registered cGMP compliant facility that processes other products containing these allergens or ingredients.
Warnings: Keep out of the reach of children. Consult with a licensed physician, pharmacist, naturopath or other qualified healthcare professional prior to taking dietary supplements.
Sealed for your protection. Do not use if seal is missing or broken. Best stored at Controlled Room Temperature (CRT) 20°C to 25°C (68°F to 77°F). Improper storage conditions, such as extended exposure to direct sunlight, high heat & humidity can cause product degradation over time.
While iHerb strives to ensure the accuracy of its product images and information, some manufacturing changes to packaging and/or ingredients may be pending update on our site. Although items may occasionally ship with alternate packaging, freshness is always guaranteed. We recommend that you read labels, warnings and directions of all products before use and not rely solely on the information provided by iHerb.
|Supplement Facts
|Serving Size: 1 Softgel
|Servings Per Container: 30
|Amount Per Serving
|Total Fat
|1 g
|0 mg
|Natural Fish Oil Concentrate
|1 g (1,000 mg)
|Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA as TG)
|700 mg
|*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
†Daily Value not established.


text:
Man arrested trying to climb White House fence
Photo: File Photo — Jacquelyn Martin — The Associated Press
WASHINGTON >> Authorities say a man has been arrested trying to climb over a fence at the White House.
The Secret Service says the unidentified man was apprehended before he could get over the fence.
He had two bags with him and authorities are waiting for the Washington police to arrive to screen the bags' contents.
It is unclear why the man tried to climb the fence around the heavily guarded White House or what may be in the bags he was carrying.


text:
TALLADEGA, AL – Former Major League Baseball icon Chipper Jones, believed by many to be a future "first-ballot" Hall of Famer, will serve as the Grand Marshal for the Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday, May 5.
Jones, who played for the Atlanta Braves throughout his entire 19-year career and was a fan-favorite across the country, will give the most famous command in all of motorsports to the 43-car field: "Drivers Start Your Engines!"
"I have been a huge NASCAR fan my entire life," said Jones, who grew up in Pierson, FL, just minutes away from Daytona International Speedway. "I have met many people within the world of NASCAR as well as many dedicated, true fans of the sport. I know there are a lot of those fans who love Talladega. I'm really looking forward to getting the Aaron's 499 started!"
Jones spent the last two decades establishing himself as one of the greatest switch-hitters in baseball history, second only to switch-hitters Mickey Mantle and Eddie Murray in homeruns (468). The eight-time all-star, who retired following the 2012 season, was named the 1999 National League MVP, and helped the Braves win the World Series title that year.
"Chipper has a lot of fans all over the southeast, especially around us here at Talladega since we are just a short drive from Atlanta" said Grant Lynch, Chairman of Talladega Superspeedway. "His career stats have placed him in some is some good company with someone like Mickey Mantle. We are thrilled to have him get the engines fired for the Aaron's 499."
Jones, who will have his No. 10 retired by the Braves this summer, has the most career RBIs for a third baseman and stands third in career RBIs for a switch hitter. He won the National League batting title in 2008, and holds the Braves record for career on base percentage and is third on the Braves all-time career home run list. He ended his career as a .303 hitter with 1,512 walks and 1,623 RBI in 2500 games with 8989 at bats. He is the only switch hitter in Major League Baseball history to have a .300+ career batting average and 400 or more home runs.
Chipper Jones joins other pre-race dignitaries AJ McCarron (University of Alabama quarterback) and Robin Meade (Country Music Recording Artist & CNN News Anchor), who will serve as the Honorary Pace Car Driver and National Anthem singer, respectively, prior to the Aaron's 499.
The most competitive racing in NASCAR combined with a mix of southern hospitality returns to Talladega Superspeedway May 3-5 for the Aaron's Dream Weekend. Experience the excitement as the superstars of NASCAR attempt to tackle the high-banks of 'DEGA at 200 mph. Secure your tickets at www.talladegasuperspeedway.com or by calling 877-Go2-DEGA. This is more than a race…This is Talladega!
Get 2 FREE stocks valued between $2.50-$1,400 when you open and fund a Webull brokerage account or earn 5% annual interest rate at Worthy.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of SpeedwayMedia.com.


text:
|Photo: Vince Kellen
Supplanting it are hundreds of tools and innovations, created by a plethora of vendors, institutions, students, and instructors in a frothy, bubbling world known as the edtech ecosystem. If the pace of innovation and experimentation persists, this could change instruction for the better. However, this transformation will not come about in the manner that many experts and pundits have predicted. Furthermore, IT leaders and chief information officers (CIOs) will need to dig in now and start contributing.
The word ecosystem, borrowed from its ecological and biological roots, here refers to the educational technology (edtech) market. This market is now sufficiently complex, with dynamic and constantly evolving interconnections between all participants: the edtech vendors themselves; their customers (educational institutions and students); investors in the market; industry trade groups; analysts; local, state and federal governments; think tanks; and vendor suppliers, including companies — like Amazon, Microsoft, and Google — that offer cloud infrastructure and software development tools. This market is diverse with participants big and small, players who have been deeply embedded in higher education for a long time as well as recent interlopers who are feeling their way. The relationships between the various players change over time and are often murky. For example, the largest edtech vendor today may be Amazon. So many edtech vendors have created their solutions in the Amazon environment that it is likely students, faculty, and staff find their digital interactions flowing through the Amazon platforms more often than in any other platform.
Unfortunately, the market and many IT leaders have mischaracterized IT tools, causing them to underestimate the importance of an ecosystem approach. In addition, external conditions, most noticeably the calls for improvements in teaching from our citizen stakeholders and now from many edtech vendors, continue to influence the ecosystem. In both cases, action from CIOs and IT leaders can help.
The Deeper Nature of IT Tools
Unlike all the tools that have come before, IT tools are much more malleable, almost obscenely so. Timeless tools like the hammer and the saw are made for a specific purpose and require just a bit of practice to master. The capabilities of other tools like the bow and arrow, the atlatl, and the sword become greatly enhanced with advanced skill, requiring dedicated and effortful practice. While designed to work with the human body, these tools still require that people change their behavior and their physical skill to adapt to the tool.
IT tools are quite different. They usually require little to no physical practice to master. While we spend a modicum of physical effort to learn how to hold, type, or otherwise physically handle these tools, we spend much more time in mental effort. We must learn what each tool, each component, each icon, each link, and each button does. We have to learn how very different parts of the software relate to each other. And we need to practice the mental routines needed in order to make good use of these software tools. Over time, this mental rehearsal, just like the physical one, improves our skill.
Unlike conventional tools, IT tools are not delivered in a fully completed form. All of them require some level of modification, configuration, or customization. The inherent pliability of software almost begs for this. In today's software tools we have all sorts of customization capabilities ranging from simple to elaborate settings; we can even go as far as writing code ourselves or mashing up a collection of smaller software tools.
Since the worlds we build as educators are mental worlds with tremendous complexity, diversity, and range of ideas, our relationship with the tool is even more fascinating than the usual business functions to which software is applied. Instructors have to master this complexity in such a way as to effectively share these different worlds of ideas with learners. This complex process of matching content to learners through either automated methods or good old-fashioned face-to-face instruction beckons instructors and their attendant IT helpers to highly customize learning tools. For some difficult teaching situations, the demands that the learning task places on instructors and learners can require a great deal of tailoring. Right now and for the foreseeable future, this tailoring process is necessary for both instructors and learners. The EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative (ELI) research into the next generation digital learning environment (NGDLE) identified this need as a critical one that the market needs to address.1
Customizable and configurable IT tools give learners the opportunity to organize their own content and manage their own knowledge. Learners frequently invest their time into their mental scaffolding. Their tool use becomes connected to their learning and to course outcomes. This can be beneficial. When both students and instructors become facile co-creators or, at the least, co-tailors of their own tools, attachment both to the tools and to the knowledge delivered grows, building a cycle of engagement and mastery.
The richness of this emerging edtech ecosystem is spawning many thousands of micro-experiments in classrooms across the globe. While some critics may discount this seemingly endless faculty tinkering with tools as indulgent frivolity, I disagree. Instructors are learners too. They are performance artists and have to contend with all the pressures of being on the physical or the online stage. Adopting new teaching and learning tools requires dedicated practice and tool tailoring before stepping onstage.
This tailoring yields other significant benefits. While it can facilitate learning and mastery for all involved, the configuration of these tools is enabling better data integration of learner activities or clickstreams. This in turn catalyzes rapid experimentation with learning analytics. Many vendors and leading instructional researchers are instrumenting classrooms and capturing digital footprint data for the purposes of finding ways to improve instruction. As the technology continues to evolve and undergo speciation, these instructional research insights are likely to get deeper, more focused, and highly varied across disciplines, institutional contexts, and learners. These insights will lead to the further evolution of software tools. The emerging edtech ecosystem looks poised to enable this virtuous cycle of adaption, experimentation, insights, and community sharing.
Read more...
Source: EDUCAUSE Review


text:
- National
This was published 7 years ago
Welcome to Canberra, please tweet us right
Canberra lays out the welcome mat today for 250 social media-savvy tourists hoping to enjoy a ''like''-worthy mini-break in the national capital.
Well, make that about 249 out-of-towners and at least one Canberra resident who managed to secure one of the 500 free holidays being given away by Australian Capital Tourism as part of its Human Brochure campaign.
The first 250 selected tourists will blog, post, tweet and status-update their way through the next three days of specially organised activities, each designated to a particular kind of holiday - soft adventure, family fun, food and wine and arts and culture.
A total of 31,406 people applied for the gig. The next 250 hand-picked visitors arrive in February.
It's hoped their shared experience of Canberra will create an online brochure for the city and encourage their friends, family and followers to also visit the national capital. At least one Canberra person was included because the campaign was open to ''all Australians''.
And some have a lot of followers and a lot to say.
Included in this first batch of tourists is Australia's most prolific Twitter user, Stephanie-Krystle Chin, from Melbourne.
She has racked up more than 204,000 tweets since she started using Twitter in 2007.
Another ''human'' on her way to Canberra, Melbourne online editor and consultant Kellie Anderson, has more than 27,000 followers on Twitter.
Some have already started tweeting in anticipation, including Darwin journalist Clare Rawlinson, who said: ''Hi, everyone coming to Canberra for #humanbrochure. So, erm, I live in the tropics and have no warm clothes. Please give me lots of hugs.''
The local hospitality and tourism industry is certainly looking to embrace ''the humans''.
Australian Capital Tourism director Ian Hill said more than 30 industry members were involved in providing tailored activities and experiences over the three days.
''We have had fantastic support from our tourism industry, who have got behind this world-first with great enthusiasm,'' Mr Hill said.
Among the participating operators are Rubicon restaurant in Griffith and Malamay restaurant in Barton which will be hosting the foodies at special dinners during their visit.
Malamay part-owner and manager Amy Tran said she didn't feel too nervous about her business being exposed to the opinions of the vast social media world. ''Not too much. I feel more excited than anything,'' she said. ''For us, this is what we do and we think it's a great opportunity to show what Canberra and local businesses can do.''
The tourists will be staying at the Diamant Hotel in New Acton, East Hotel in Kingston, Mantra on Northbourne and Clifton Suites on Northbourne.
East Hotel general manager Todd Handy said he, too, was feeling excited about the campaign and believed it was a chance to show Canberra was a ''vibrant and dynamic destination'' that was about more than just the national attractions.
Each group has its own itinerary, with the family visitors doing things such as a trip to the National Zoo and Aquarium and ride around Lake Burley Griffin on a Mr Spokes bike. The arts and culture visitors will take in attractions including the National Museum of Australia, National Gallery of Australia and Canberra Glassworks. The adventurers will be off to places including Stromlo Forest Park and Tidbinbilla. The foodies will visit the Capital Wines Epicurean Centre at Gundaroo, Mount Majura Vineyard and Jeir Creek Winery.


text: Students were not present in the Westerville City School District on Tuesday, November 7 (Election Day), but learning continued as teachers and support staff engaged in professional development opportunities. Westerville educators who have demonstrated expertise in particular areas led many of the sessions that were offered. These full days of professional development are a valuable way for staff to grow as instructors and a cost-effective way to learn from each other, identify best practices, and implement initiatives across the school district that have resulted in positive academic gains for pupils.


text:
Distinguishing Science and Pseudoscience
Rory Coker, Ph.D.
The word "pseudo" means fake. The surest way to spot a fake is to know as much as possible about the real thing—in this case, about science itself. Knowing science does not mean simply knowing scientific facts (such as the distance from earth to sun, the age of the earth, the distinction between mammal and reptile, etc.) It means understanding the nature of science—the criteria of evidence, the design of meaningful experiments, the weighing of possibilities, the testing of hypotheses, the establishment of theories, the many aspects of scientific methods that make it possible to draw reliable conclusions about the physical universe.
Because the media bombard us with nonsense, it is useful to consider the earmarks of pseudoscience. The presence of even one of these should arouse great suspicion. On the other hand, material displaying none of these flaws might still be pseudoscience, because its adherents invent new ways to fool themselves every day. Most of the examples in this article are related to my field of physics, but similar beliefs and behavior are associated with iridology, medical astrology, meridian therapy, reflexology, subluxation-based chiropractic, therapeutic touch, and other health-related pseudosciences.
Pseudoscience displays an indifference to facts.
Instead of bothering to consult reference works or investigating directly, its advocates simply spout bogus "facts" where needed. These fictions are often central to the pseudoscientist's argument and conclusions. Moreover, pseudoscientists rarely revise. The first edition of a pseudoscience book is almost always the last, even though the book remains in print for decades or even centuries. Even books with obvious mistakes, errors, and misprints on every page may be reprinted as is, over and over. Compare this to science textbooks that see a new edition every few years because of the rapid accumulation of new facts and insights.
Pseudoscience "research" is invariably sloppy.
Pseudoscientists clip newspaper reports, collect hearsay, cite other pseudoscience books, and pore over ancient religious or mythological works. They rarely or never make an independent investigation to check their sources.
Pseudoscience begins with a hypothesis—usually one which is appealing emotionally,
and spectacularly implausible—and then looks only for items which appear to support it.
Conflicting evidence is ignored. Generally speaking, the aim of pseudoscience is to rationalize strongly held beliefs, rather than to investigate or to test alternative possibilities. Pseudoscience specializes in jumping to "congenial conclusions," grinding ideological axes, appealing to preconceived ideas and to widespread misunderstandings.
Pseudoscience is indifferent to criteria of valid evidence.
The emphasis is not on meaningful, controlled, repeatable scientific experiments. Instead it is on unverifiable eyewitness testimony, stories and tall tales, hearsay, rumor, and dubious anecdotes. Genuine scientific literature is either ignored or misinterpreted.
Pseudoscience relies heavily on subjective validation.
Joe Blow puts jello on his head and his headache goes away. To pseudoscience, this means jello cures headaches. To science this means nothing, since no experiment was done. Many things were going on when Joe Blow's headache went away—the moon was full, a bird flew overhead, the window was open, Joe had on his red shirt, etc.—and his headache would have gone away eventually in any case, no matter what. A controlled experiment would put many people suffering from headaches in identical circumstances, except for the presence or absence of the remedy it is desired to test, and compare the results which would then have some chance of being meaningful. Many people think there must be something to astrology because a newspaper horoscope describes them perfectly. But close examination would reveal that the description is general enough to cover virtually everyone. This phenomenon, called subjective validation, is one of the foundations of popular support for pseudoscience.
Pseudoscience depends on arbitrary conventions of human
culture, rather than on unchanging regularities of nature.
For instance, the interpretations of astrology depend on the names of things, which are accidental and vary from culture to culture. If the ancients had given the name Mars to the planet we call Jupiter, and vice versa, astronomy could care less but astrology would be totally different, because it depends solely on the name and has nothing to do with the physical properties of the planet itself.
Pseudoscience always achieves a reduction to absurdity if pursued far enough.
Maybe dowsers can somehow sense the presence of water or minerals under a field, but almost all claim they can dowse equally well from a map! Maybe Uri Geller is "psychic," but are his powers really beamed to him on a radio link with a flying saucer from the planet Hoova, as he has claimed? Maybe plants are "psychic," but why does a bowl of mud respond in exactly the same way, in the same "experiment?"
Pseudoscience always avoids putting its claims to a meaningful test.
Pseudoscientists never carry out careful, methodical experiments themselves—and they also generally ignore results of those carried out by scientists. Pseudoscientists also never follow up. If one pseudoscientist claims to have done an experiment (such as the "lost" biorhythm studies of Hermann Swoboda that are alleged basis of the modern pseudoscience of biorhythms), no other pseudoscientist ever tries to duplicate it or to check him, even when the original results are missing or questionable! Further, where a pseudoscientist claims to have done an experiment with a remarkable result, he himself never repeats it to check his results and procedures. This is in extreme contrast with science, where crucial experiments are repeated by scientists all over the world with ever-increasing precision.
Pseudoscience often contradicts itself, even in its own terms.
Such logical contradictions are simply ignored or rationalized away. Thus, we should not be surprised when Chapter 1
of a book on dowsing says that dowsers use newly cut twigs, because only "live" wood can channel and focus the "earth-radiation" that makes dowsing possible, whereas Chapter 5 states that nearly all dowsers use metal or plastic rods.
Pseudoscience deliberately creates mystery where none
exists, by omitting crucial information and important details.
Anything can be made "mysterious" by omitting what is known about it or presenting completely imaginary details. The "Bermuda Triangle" books are classic examples of this tactic.
Pseudoscience does not progress.
There are fads, and a pseudoscientist may switch from one fad to another (from ghosts to ESP research, from flying saucers to psychic studies, from ESP research to looking for Bigfoot). But within a given topic, no progress is made. Little or no new information or uncovered. New theories are seldom proposed, and old concepts are rarely modified or discarded in light of new "discoveries," since pseudoscience rarely makes new "discoveries." The older the idea, the more respect it receives. No natural phenomena or processes previously unknown to science have ever been discovered by pseudoscientists. Indeed, pseudoscientists almost invariably deal with phenomena well known to scientists, but little known to the general public—so that the public will swallow whatever the pseudoscientist wants to claim. Examples include firewalking and "Kirlian" photography.
Pseudoscience attempts to persuade with rhetoric, propaganda, and
misrepresentation rather than valid evidence (which presumably does not exist).
Pseudoscience books offer examples of almost every kind of fallacy of logic and reason known to scholars and have invented some new ones of their own. A favorite device is the non sequitur. Pseudoscientists also love the "Galileo Argument." This consists of the pseudoscientist comparing himself to Galileo, and saying that just as the pseudoscientist is believed to be wrong, so Galileo was thought wrong by his contemporaries therefore the pseudoscientist must be right too, just as Galileo was. Clearly the conclusion does not follow! Moreover, Galileo's ideas were tested, verified, and accepted promptly by his scientific colleagues. The rejection came from the established religion which favored the pseudoscience that Galileo's findings contradicted.
Pseudoscience argues from ignorance, an elementary fallacy.
Many pseudoscientists base their claims on incompleteness of information about nature, rather than on what is known at present. But no claim can possibly be supported by lack of information. The fact that people don't recognize what they see in the sky means only that they don't recognize what they saw. This fact is not evidence that flying saucers are from outer space. The statement "Science cannot explain" is common in pseudoscience literature. In many cases, science has no interest in the supposed phenomena because there is no evidence it exists; in other cases, the scientific explanation is well known and well established, but the pseudoscientist doesn't know this or deliberately ignores it to create mystery.
Pseudoscience argues from alleged exceptions, errors, anomalies, strange events,
and suspect claims—rather than from well-established regularities of nature.
The experience of scientists over the past 400 years is that claims and reports that describe well-understood objects behaving in strange and incomprehensible ways tend to reduce upon investigation to deliberate frauds, honest mistakes, garbled accounts, misinterpretations, outright fabrications, and stupid blunders. It is not wise to accept such reports at face value, without checking them. Pseudoscientists always take such reports as literally true, without independent verification.
Pseudoscience appeals to false authority, to emotion,
sentiment, or distrust of established fact.
A high-school dropout is accepted as an expert on archaeology, though he has never made any study of it! A psychoanalyst is accepted as an expert on all of human history, not to mention physics, astronomy, and mythology, even though his claims are inconsistent with everything known in all four fields. A movie star swears it's true, so it must be. A physicist says a "psychic" couldn't possibly have fooled him with simple magic tricks, although the physicist knows nothing about magic and sleight of hand. Emotional appeals are common. ("If it makes you feel good, it must be true." "In your heart you know it's right.") Pseudoscientists are fond of imaginary conspiracies. ("There's plenty of evidence for flying saucers, but the government keeps it secret.") And they argue from irrelevancies: When confronted by inconvenient facts, they simply reply, "Scientists don't know everything!"
Pseudoscience makes extraordinary claims and advances fantastic
theories that contradict what is known about nature.
They not only provide no evidence that their claims are true. They also ignore all findings that contradict their conclusions. ("Flying saucers have to come from somewhere—so the earth is hollow, and they come from inside." "This electric spark I'm making with this electrical apparatus is actually not a spark at all, but rather a supernatural manifestation of psycho-spiritual energy." "Every human is surrounded by an impalpable aura of electromagnetic energy, the auric egg of the ancient Hindu seers, which mirrors the human's every mood and condition.")
Pseudoscientists invent their own vocabulary in which many terms lack
precise or unambiguous definitions, and some have no definition at all.
Listeners are often forced to interpret the statements according to their own preconceptions. What, for for example, is "biocosmic energy?" Or a "psychotronic amplification system?" Pseudoscientists often attempt to imitate the jargon of scientific and technical fields by spouting gibberish that sounds scientific and technical. Quack "healers" would be lost without the term "energy," but their use of the term has nothing whatsoever to do with the concept of energy used by physicists.
Pseudoscience appeals to the truth-criteria of scientific
methodology while simultaneously denying their validity.
Thus, a procedurally invalid experiment which seems to show that astrology works is advanced as "proof" that astrology is correct, while thousands of procedurally sound experiments that show it does not work are ignored. The fact that someone got away with simple magic tricks in one scientific lab is "proof" that he is a psychic superman, while the fact that he was caught cheating in several other labs is ignored.
Pseudoscience claims that the phenomena it studies are "jealous."
The phenomena appear only under certain vaguely specified but vital conditions (such as when no doubters or skeptics are present; when no experts are present; when nobody is watching; when the "vibes" are right; or only once in human history.) Science holds that genuine phenomena must be capable of study by anyone with the proper equipment and that all procedurally valid studies must give consistent results. No genuine phenomenon is "jealous" in this way. There is no way to construct a TV set or a radio that will function only when no skeptics are present! A man who claims to be a concert-class violinist, but does not appear to have ever owned a violin and who refuses to play when anyone is around who might hear him, is most likely lying about his ability to play the violin.
Pseudoscientific "explanations" tend to be by scenario.
That is, we are told a story, but nothing else; we have no description of any possible physical process. For instance, Immanuel Velikovsky (1895-1979) claimed that another planet passing near the earth caused the earth's spin axis to flip upside down. This is all he said. He gave no mechanisms. But the mechanism is all-important, because the laws of physics rule out the process as impossible. That is, the approach of another planet cannot cause a planet's spin axis to flip. If Velikovsky had discovered some way that a planet could flip another's spin axis, he would presumably have described the mechanism by which it can happen. The bald statement itself, without the underlying mechanism, conveys no information at all. Velikovsky said that Venus was once a comet, and this comet was spewed out of a volcano on Jupiter. Since planets do not resemble comets (which are rock/ice snowball-like debris with connection whatsoever to volcanoes) and since Jupiter is not known to have volcanoes anyway (or even a solid surface!), no actual physical process could underlie Velikovsky's assertions. He gave us words, related to one another within a sentence, but the relationships were alien to the universe we actually live in, and he gave no explanation for how these could exist. He provided stories, not genuine theories.
Pseudoscientists often appeal to the ancient human habit of magical thinking.
Magic, sorcery, witchcraft—these are based on spurious similarity, false analogy, false cause-and-effect connections, etc. That is, inexplicable influences and connections between things are assumed from the beginning—not found by investigation. (If you step on a crack in the sidewalk without saying a magic word, your mother will crack a bone in her body; eating heart-shaped leaves is good for heart ailments; shining red light on the body increases blood production; rams are aggressive so someone born in the sign of the ram is aggressive; fish are "brain food" because the meat of the fish resembles brain tissue, etc.)
Pseudoscience relies heavily on anachronistic thinking.
The older the idea, the more attractive it is to pseudoscience—it's the wisdom of the ancients!—especially if the idea is transparently wrong and has long been discarded by science. Many journalists have trouble in comprehending this point. A typical reporter writing about astrology may think a thorough job can be done by interviewing six astrologers and one astronomer. The astronomer says it's all bunk; the six astrologers say it's great stuff and really works and for $50 they'll be glad to cast anyone's horoscope. (No doubt!) To many reporters, and apparently to many editors and their readers, this would confirm astrology six to one!
This table contrasts some of the characteristics of science and pseudoscience
|Their findings are expressed primarily through scientific journals that are peer-reviewed and maintain rigorous standards for honesty and accuracy.
|The literature is aimed at the general public. There is no review, no standards, no pre-publication verification, no demand for accuracy and precision.
|Reproducible results are demanded; experiments must be precisely described so that they can be duplicated exactly or improved upon.
|Results cannot be reproduced or verified. Studies, if any, are always so vaguely described that one can't figure out what was done or how it was done.
|Failures are searched for and studied closely, because incorrect theories can often make correct predictions by accident, but no correct theory will make incorrect predictions.
|Failures are ignored, excused, hidden, lied about, discounted, explained away, rationalized, forgotten, avoided at all costs.
|As time goes on, more and more is learned about the physical processes under study.
|No physical phenomena or processes are ever found or studied. No progress is made; nothing concrete is learned.
|Convinces by appeal to the evidence, by arguments based upon logical and/or mathematical reasoning, by making the best case the data permit. When new evidence contradicts old ideas, they are abandoned.
|Convinces by appeal to faith and belief. Pseudoscience has a strong quasi-religious element: it tries to convert, not to convince. You are to believe in spite of the facts, not because of them. The original idea is never abandoned, whatever the evidence.
|Does not advocate or market unproven practices or products.
|Generally earns some or all of his living by selling questionable products (such as books, courses, and dietary supplements) and/or pseudoscientific services (such as horoscopes, character readings, spirit messages, and predictions).
This table could be greatly expanded, because science and pseudoscience are precisely opposed ways of viewing nature. Science relies on—and insists on—self-questioning, testing and analytical thinking that make it hard to fool yourself or to avoid facing facts. Pseudoscience, on the other hand, preserves the ancient, natural, irrational, unobjective modes of thought that are hundreds of thousands of years older than science—thought processes that have given rise to superstitions and other fanciful and mistaken ideas about man and nature—from voodoo to racism; from the flat earth to the house-shaped universe with God in the attic, Satan in the cellar and man on the ground floor; from doing rain dances to torturing and brutalizing the mentally ill to drive out the demons that possess them. Pseudoscience encourages people to believe anything they want. It supplies specious "arguments" for fooling yourself into thinking that any and all beliefs are equally valid. Science begins by saying, let's forget about what we believe to be so, and try by investigation to find out what actually is so. These roads don't cross; they lead in completely opposite directions.
Some confusion on this point is caused by what we might call "crossover." "Science" is not an honorary badge you wear, it's an activity you do. Whenever you cease that activity, you cease being a scientist. A distressing amount of pseudoscience is generated by scientists who are well trained in one field but plunge into another field of which they are ignorant. A physicist who claims to have found a new principle of biology—or a biologist who claims to have found a new principle of physics—is almost invariably doing pseudoscience. And so are those who forge data, or suppresses data that clash with their preconceptions, or refuse to let others see their data for independent evaluation. Science is like a high peak of intellectual integrity, fairness, and rationality. The peak is slippery and smooth. It requires a tremendous effort to remain near it. Slacking of effort carries one away and into pseudoscience. Some pseudoscience is generated by individuals with a small amount of specialized scientific or technical training who are not professional scientists and do not comprehend the nature of the scientific enterprise—yet think of themselves as "scientists."
One might wonder if there are not examples of "crossovers" in the other direction; that is people who have been thought by scientists to be doing pseudoscience, who eventually were accepted as doing valid science, and whose ideas were ultimately accepted by scientists. From what we have just outlined, one would expect this to happen extremely rarely, if ever. In fact, neither I nor any informed colleague I have ever asked about this, knows of any single case in which this has happened during the hundreds of years the full scientific method has been known to and used by scientists. There are many cases in which a scientist has been thought wrong by colleagues but later—when new information comes in—is shown to be correct. Like anyone else, scientists can get hunches that something is possible without having enough evidence to convince their associates that they are correct. Such people do not become pseudoscientists, unless they continue to maintain that their ideas are correct when contradictory evidence piles up. Being wrong or mistaken is unavoidable; we are all human, and we all commit errors and blunders. True scientists, however, are alert to the possibility of blunder and are quick to correct mistakes. Pseudoscientists do not. In fact, a short definition of pseudoscience is "a method for excusing, defending, and preserving errors."
Pseudoscience often strikes educated, rational people as too nonsensical and preposterous to be dangerous and as a source of amusement rather than fear. Unfortunately, this is not a wise attitude. Pseudoscience can be extremely dangerous.
- Penetrating political systems, it justifies atrocities in the name of racial purity
- Penetrating the educational system, it can drive out science and sensibility;
- In the field of health, it dooms thousands to unnecessary death or suffering
- Penetrating religion, it generates fanaticism, intolerance, and holy war
- Penetrating the communications media, it can make it difficult for voters to obtain factual information on important public issues.
Recommended Reading
- Science and Unreason, D. & M. Radner, Wadsworth, California, 1982.
- Exploring the Unknown, Charles J. Cazeau & Stuart D. Scott, Jr., Plenum, New York, 1979.
- Fact, Fraud and Fantasy, Morris Goran, A. S. Barnes, New Jersey, 1979.
- Flim-Flam! By James Randi, Prometheus, Amherst, N.Y., 1982.
- How to Think about Wierd Things: Critical Thinking for a New Age, Theodore Schick, Jr., Lewis Vaughn, Mayfield, Mountain View, Calif., 1995.
- Paranormal Borderlands of Science, Ed. by Kendrick Frazier, Prometheus, Amherst, N.Y., 1981.
- Science as falsification, Karl R. Popper (1963)
- Science Confronts the Paranormal, Ed. by Kendrick Frazier, Prometheus, Amherst, N.Y., 1985.
- Science, Good, Bad and Bogus, Martin Gardner, Prometheus, New York, 1981; Avon, New York, 1982.
- Science and the Paranormal, Ed. by George O. Abell and Barry Singer, Scribners, New York, 1981.
- Extrasensory Deception, Henry Gordon, Prometheus, Amherst, N.Y.,1987.
- Pseudoscience and the Paranormal, Terence Hines, Prometheus, Amherst, N.Y., 1988.
Dr. Coker is Professor of Physics, University of Texas at Austin.
This article was revised on May 30, 2001.


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Officers were called to the second flood over Yanger's Bar at 300 N. Fourth St. at 4:48 p.m. by a 24-year-old living in the apartment who reported someone being injured by a man with a sword. Police said when officers arrived at the North Fourth Street building, Choi was at the top of a stairwell leading to the apartment on the second floor and refused to surrender. A trained negotiator was able to get Choi to cooperate and surrender.
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Another neighbor, David Gerard, told police he heard someone yelling for help and left his apartment to see Choi striking Vanderheyden with what he initially thought was a stick, but realized was a sword when he tried to grab it and was cut, according to the complaint.
A third resident of the building told police he heard hysterical yelling and found Vanderheyden inside Choi's apartment before the attack. Vanderheyden asked the man if he could talk to him in his room and Vanderheyden said the resident had "saved him" and that Choi was "crazy." An hour later, the resident told police he heard screaming and Vanderheyden yelling "I'm sorry." The resident said he saw hair and blood on the floor and walls. The resident also reportedly heard Choi ask Vanderheyden, "Who's God?"
The complaint alleges that Choi killed Vanderheyden because Choi was interested in Vanderheyden's wife. Vanderheyden's wife told police Choi had made statements to her Wednesday that "(Choi) wanted her to be with him and that she should leave her husband" and he threatened to kill Vanderheyden. The victim's wife said she believed she talked Choi down Wednesday and that there would be no problem.
During police interviews, Choi referred to himself as "God," "Common Pi" and said he expected Vanderheyden to die from his injuries, the complaint said. He also allegedly told police the universe made him kill Vanderheyden.
Vanderheyden was found on the second floor with critical injuries. Vanderheyden and Gerard were taken to Watertown Regional Medical Center. Vanderheyden was treated but died from the injuries, police said. Gerard suffered lacerations on his thumb, index finger and middle finger when he tried to help Vanderheyden and received stitches, was treated and released, according to the complaint.
Police said they found two sword-type weapons in the apartment and other evidence. Choi was arrested on suspicion of first-degree intentional homicide and first-degree reckless injury.


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1. What's your name & Your Company Name: Denise R. Scott and Cindy Stroupe, Denise's Creation
2. Why did you decide to go into business? What was your motivation? How long have you been in business? I met my friend Cindy Stroupe when we worked together about 7 years ago. My motivation occurred after my conversation with Cindy. Cindy told me she made handcrafted soaps and I knew the soaps in the store irritated my skin. After using her handcrafted soaps I was sold. So smooth, fresh, and the scents were awesome. Since I work I knew my coworkers were looking for natural products for skin and good smelling items for their homes. Cindy makes an anti-bacterial soap for acne and our customers love it. Also I promote and sell handcrafted purses, wallets, baby blankets, curtains and more made by Venessa Shoup. Venessa made me a purse and the rest is history. People love the handcrafted purses. They can be washed and are 98% cotton. By schooling, I have a marketing degree and love to talk to people. I knew these items could sell well. Together Cindy and Venessa make the handcrafted items and I sell. Also I market by word of mouth and established the facebook page. So totally we have been in business for seven years.
3. What products do you make and sell? Handcrafted candles, soaps, purses, wallets, baby blankets, curtains. There are other items on my facebook page that is not handcrafted, oil burners and plug ins, but many our customers love the oils from Natures Garden for their burners. Also I use designer oils along with the bottles to make body spritzers.
4. What are your business goals? I currently work and this is a home base business I would love to have a small shop myself or collaborate with someone to put the items in their store.
5. What are some products you use from Natures Garden; what are your favorite products from Natures Garden? All our fragrance oils, designer fragrance oils and bottles for the spritzers.
Facebook page: http://facebook.com/dwisecarverscott


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Monthly archives: août 2017Entries found: 1
UK : 2017 European Platforms
31 août 2017 Sites amis
Results from Creative Europe's 2017 European Platforms call have been published, with one of the 13 selected projects involving a UK lead and 10 UK organisations involved in projects as partners. Aerowaves is being supported as a Platform for the second time to lead a hub for dance discovery – also called Aerowaves – receiving €500,000 for the first year of the Platform. Lire cet Article


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Last month, Def Jam's rapper Fabolous held his Soul Tape 2 mixtape release party at New York's Webster Hall. For the event, Loso styled in a $600 Member Club Cheetah Jacket. Only 50 jackets are made in this design which features cheetah printed sleeves and a padded cotton & velvet front. Loso completed his outfit with a black tee-shirt, jeans and Timberland boots. Check out Member Club Clothing at the brand's site. Loso's new album arrives next year.
Pics Via Fabolous & Member Club Instagram
Follow me @donbleek88


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New Mazda for Sale in Naples, FL
124 Matching Vehicles Found
MPG Disclaimer:
Based on model year EPA mileage ratings. Use for comparison purposes only. Your actual mileage will vary depending on how you drive and maintain your vehicle.
All sale prices include manufactures rebate. Prices do not include tax, tag, title, pre-delivery service fee of $899.95 and Private Tag Agency Fee of $184.00, which charges represent costs and profit to the dealer for items such as inspecting, cleaning and adjusting vehicles and preparing documents related to the sale.
By submitting my cell phone number to the Dealership, I agree to receive text messages, and phone calls, which may be recorded and/or sent using automated dialing equipment or software from Naples Mazda and its affiliates in the future, unless I opt-out from such communications. I understand that my consent to be contacted is not a requirement to purchase any product or service and that I can opt-out at any time. I agree to pay my mobile service provider's text messaging rates, if applicable.
**With approved credit. Terms may vary. Monthly payments are only estimates derived from the vehicle price with a 72 month term, 4.9% interest and 20% downpayment.


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Eastern Europe is a diverse region with an interesting history. Many nationalities and cultures live in the area and some of the countries were formed relatively recently.
However, most countries in the area have a rich history. Many capital cities and other major cities in the region date back to the Middle Ages and even earlier.
There is a lot of historic architecture in Eastern Europe: castles, old bridges and medieval towns. The major cities in the region are also great destinations for shopping, nightlife or luxury weekend breaks.
The Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is sometimes considered more Central Europe than Eastern Europe.
One of the most visited countries in the region, the Czech Republic is most famous for its capital Prague. It is a city of historic architecture, art, culture, museums, and a vibrant nightlife as well as great shopping.
The Czech Republic boasts many other interesting destinations too; it is a good idea to get away from Prague to see the rest of the country. Many destinations attract especially those who love medieval history: castles, old towns and villages. There are also many great spas and spa hotels for luxury or health breaks.
Slovenia is an increasingly popular destination in Eastern Europe. It has not yet been discovered by mass tourism, but it is popular enough to have a wide choice of accommodation and other services for tourists.
The capital Ljubljana is an historic city with a picturesque old town and several interesting art galleries, museums and buildings. There are excellent restaurants, cafés, bars and night clubs in Ljubljana, and it is also becoming a great shopping destination. Outside the capital, Slovenia offers a wide range of nature attraction: countryside, mountains, lakes (such as the beautiful Lake Bled) and cycling or hiking paths.
The Baltic Countries
The Baltic Countries Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are all fascinating vacation destinations. The most popular with foreign visitors is Estonia and especially its capital Tallinn, but Lithuania and Latvia are receiving an increasing number of foreign tourists.
All countries have capital cities with medieval town centers, and a coastline on the Baltic Sea that is famous for its rugged and peaceful beaches.
Hungary belongs to the best countries to visit in Eastern Europe and its top destination is its capital Budapest. With its beautiful architecture, castles, bridges and Gothic churches, Budapest is a romantic city with a lot of atmosphere.
Its health spas have been famous for centuries, and today Budapest is also a vibrant modern city that has a lot in common with Western European cities. Outside Budapest Hungary has some great places to visit, including its famous medieval castles and the picturesque Lake Balaton region.
Poland is another rising tourist destination in Eastern Europe. Although Warsaw is its capital and n interesting city to visit, Poland's most popular destination is the smaller Krakow.
This city is full of history, UNESCO World Heritage Sites, medieval town squares, Gothic churches and castles. Outside Krakow, the Auschwitz-Birkenau World War 2 concentration camps are a must-visit site for anyone who wants to understand Europe's recent history.
With so many interesting destinations, it is challenging to choose the best countries to visit in Eastern Europe. Fortunately traveling between the various countries is easy. Low-cost airlines operate in Eastern Europe, and train travel is comfortable and cheap.


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Call the sitter: Parents resort to online services out of economic necessity
A few weeks ago news outlets were all over a story about the death of an infant who had been placed in the care of a young freelance babysitter. The media was quick to blame the mother, at least by implication, since she had found the man through an Internet portal site that matched people who needed babysitters with people who provided such services. Many of these providers seem to be unlicensed, but babysitting as a job description is relatively new to Japan.
What seemed unusual in this case — though it's actually quite common — is that the two boys the mother left with the man were watched at the man's apartment in Saitama Prefecture, rather than at the woman's residence in Yokohama, which is normally the way babysitting works. In the woman's defense, some media pointed out that she had used the man as a babysitter previously and didn't trust him, but because he used a different name this time she wasn't aware she was leaving her children in his care.
However irresponsible the woman was in this situation, the fact is that there is an increasing number of parents who rely on such services. The Internet portal site that the woman used has 10,000 registered users and 6,000 registered sitters. The paucity of daycare services in Japan is a well-covered issue, and some parents can't wait for the government or the private sector to rectify the situation, especially if they have infants and toddlers, which conventional daycare centers don't usually accept anyway.


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Kat Von D lost her cable TV show – but she's re-upped with Jesse James.
Within hours of TLC announcing it had pulled the plug on "LA Ink," the heavily tattooed beauty and bad boy motorcycle mechanic each tweeted photos showing off their reunion.
James, who locked lips with Von D in his photo, confirmed to People the engagement was back on track.
U.S. & World
News from around the country and around the globe
"Sometimes you are only given one chance in life," he told the mag. "It was up to me to open my eyes and see it. That girl is my chance. I will never stop fighting and striving to hold on to her. Showing her how special she is, and how much I love her."
Earlier Thursday, TLC said the current season of "LA Ink," the reality show that follows Von D through her business and personal life, would be its last.
"The network is proud of what the series has accomplished in its four seasons, following Kat Von D's journey as an artist from Miami to Los Angeles," TLC said in a statement to RadarOnline.
Von D, 29, whose real name is Katherine Von Drachenberg, was engaged to James after his marriage to Sandra Bullock ended. But the pair called off their wedding last month, with James telling People magazine that the commute between his home in Austin and hers in LA was too far.
According to Von D, "LA Ink" wasn't cancelled. She said walked out on the show because of the way it handled her split from James.
"In an effort to capitalize on my recent breakup, the network has decided to focus their energy on re-editing events that didn't happen while filming," she told People. "I have no regrets and am very proud of the original footage. In my opinion, any attempt to compromise the honesty of that would be an insult to my fans and viewers."
Selected Reading: People, Kat Von D, Jesse James, MSNBC


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"I don't have any hopes or expectations. I just want my son to be in a program where he will get whatever care he needs. I don't expect anything from him -- I don't expect him to be normal."
I am at the first weekly meeting of a dozen or so parents, organized by Ayelet's new day care program, listening to Tracy describe her son's history and her own expectations for the coming year.
Ayelet is my adorable one-and-a-half year old daughter. Born at just one pound two ounces, she defied all odds and all doctors' prognoses, growing and developing beyond anyone's wildest dreams. Yet she does have certain difficulties. She is a slow developer, and she has a vision impairment due to her prematurity. Since she came home from the hospital at the age of four months, she has been in the constant care of all kinds of therapists -- physical, occupational, speech, feeding, and vision. We've now decided to send her to a special morning program where she will receive all the paramedical care she needs, leaving her and me free for "regular" activities in the afternoons.
Tracy is the last parent to speak. We have all just introduced ourselves and our children. One mother discussed her hope that the program will help bring out her daughter's hidden potential that she knows exists. One couple was quite overwhelmed, still trying to find their bearings after having only recently returned to Israel from the States where they traveled for their child's surgery. Other parents focused on their fears of leaving their precious children in strange hands. But until now, all seemed very optimistic, convinced that this program would provide what their children need, and wanting to do whatever possible, and even more, to help their children.
"Our son will never be what we had always hoped for in our children."
Tracy speaks very pragmatically. "This is our son," she explains, "this is what he is. He will never be what we had always hoped for in our children. With no expectations, we won't be disappointed if his situation deteriorates." Her speech shocks me like a bucket of ice water in my face, waking me from my comfortable complacency. I have always been optimistic, always hopeful, and I just can't relate to Tracy's view on life.
"I am always optimistic," I counter. "I understand that every situation is different and that you might have less reason for optimism right now than I have, but we've had hard times too. I believe in living in the present, with hope for the future. If things get worse, deal with it then." I've learned that God gives most people the ability to cope, even in situations that to others seem unbearable.
"But think back," says Keren, the group leader. "Didn't you ever feel like Tracy does now? Wasn't there a time when you were more pessimistic and less hopeful?"
Did I ever lose hope? I ask myself. Did I ever feel that it was better not to have any hopes or aspirations, just so I wouldn't be disappointed? Did I ever look at my daughter's medical or paramedical care with indifference, thinking that it wouldn't help in any case?
I think of Ayelet inspiring hope in us every day. I think of her talking to us without words, smiling, laughing, and throwing a tantrum. I think of her marching around the house holding on to anything in sight, persistently pointing at some object she wants and expecting me to understand her. Doing normal things any one-and-a-half-year-old would do.
And I think of Ayelet shortly after she was born, when doctors told us not to hope and nurses offered comfort by telling us that we were still young, that we would have other children.
Please just let her live, I scream silently.
My thoughts go back to when Ayelet is two days old. I sit beside her incubator, one hand resting gently on her back so that she feels my presence. I talk to her, but my thoughts are directed toward God. Please just let her live, I scream silently. No matter what, just let her live. I am not thinking of health at this point, not of sight or hearing or intelligence. The only thing that matters is life.
A day or two go by. I spend hours with Ayelet, and I spend hours watching the graphs and numbers on the monitors to make sure that she is still stable (something the doctors have told us could change from one minute to the next). I am tense and nervous any time I am not at Ayelet's side; when I return, I quickly check to see that she is still where I left her last.
And then, suddenly, realization dawns. I am sitting by Ayelet's incubator, watching her tiny body move up and down as the respirator breathes air into her. My husband is sitting nearby, and I turn to him in wonder and say, "It doesn't matter what will be -- that's not the point. We have Ayelet right now, let's appreciate and enjoy her now, regardless of what will happen later." And I relax as I watch the rhythmic breathing, as I see her nice red color, her hand move involuntarily. I relax and enjoy the time I am able to spend with my daughter, though it may be under different circumstances than an average new mother. I do not know what will be (and who does), but I can do the best I can and be the best mother I know how given the present circumstances.
This realization calms me. I am not nearly as nervous as before; my focus is now on living in the present and extracting any enjoyment possible, not on the future.
Much later (or so it seems), I begin to read about various problems that tend to face preemies. Much later I begin to deal with the future, to ask questions, to seek advice, to search for solutions. Much later, I expect Ayelet to be my perfect baby and agonize over any slight sign of imperfection. But for now, time stands still.
Did I ever give up hope? I ask myself, returning to the present moment. Did I ever look upon my daughter's situation with apathy? I think of the first time I took Ayelet out of the incubator, of the feeling of her warm body against mine, of my husband excitedly snapping pictures of the momentous occasion. No, I think to myself, I never did.


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Locking Differentials 101
Traction Aid Basics
In the world of off-road performance products, the differential locker is near the top. A differential locker is mechanism that sits inside of or replaces the differential carrier. The job of a locker is to "lock" both axleshafts in unison so they can rotate at the same speed. Unlike an open differential carrier, which allows for different speeds of the tires as they move through different arcs of a turn and only sends power to the wheel with the least resistance, a locker splits the power between both wheels evenly.
On-road an open differential is rarely a problem, as both tires on the axle are firmly gripping the road. Even in light off-road situations an open differential works just fine—until one tire is in the air, on mud, or on another loose traction surface. That's when the power goes to the tire that can spin, the one with the least amount of traction. Once that happens you are known as a "one-wheeler peeler" and you lose all progress.
But with a solid locker, no matter how twisted your rig gets and puts tires in the air or how slick a mud pit you are in, each tire continues to drive forward.
Though a set of differential lockers will greatly transform the off-road performance of your vehicle, not all are alike. And while some may increase your rig's abilities off-road, that same locker set can create negative handling quirks on the street. Gathered here is a list of some of the most popular locking differential options and the pros and cons often associated with each.
Automatic (AKA Full-Time) Lockers
For a locker to be considered automatic, it simply means that the locker automatically engages when power (throttle) is applied, while operating like a conventional differential for going around corners. This is unlike a selectable locker, which requires an external actuating source. Probably the best known automatic locker is the Detroit Locker (www.eaton.com), a full carrier replacement locker that allows your wheels to change speed when making turns but that locks the shafts together once power is applied. Traditionally, automatic lockers such as the Detroit are some of the strongest and most preferred in vehicles that spend the majority of their time wheeling hardcore terrain.
• Strong and simple units with no wires, lines, or cables to tend with
• Once you become accustomed to driving with automatic lockers they can be barely detectable on the street
• Since the auto lockers allow differentiation (change in speed between the shafts) they often are a little easier to steer off-road
• Some have a reputation for loud bangs and pops, since the auto locker is constantly locking and unlocking as you drive
• Because of this, they can create strange handling characteristics that are especially noticeable in short-wheelbase vehicles.
• Generally not recommended for the front of vehicles equipped with fulltime hubs.
Drop-In (aka LunchBox) Lockers
Drop-in, or lunchbox, lockers are automatic lockers that sit in place of the spider gears found in an open differential carrier. No gear ratio or carrier change is usually needed to install drop-in lockers, provided the vehicle already has an open carrier and not a limited slip. These are usually very inexpensive lockers and are installer-friendly. One of the most common is the Lock-Right (www.richmondgear.com).
• Low cost
• Ease of installation
• Lightweight
• Can create noticeable handling quirks similar to full-carrier automatic lockers
• Can be noisy
The Gov-Loc
Found in the back of thousands of GM pickups, the Gov-Loc is a somewhat unconventional limited-slip/locker combo. The Gov-Loc received its name from how the mechanism works. As the differential begins to accelerate, a governor is thrust outward and up a slanted side gear. As the rpm increases, the governor forces pressure onto a thrust block, which allows a small cam gear to force the limited-slip clutches in place. The idea is that the faster the carrier rotates, the more the governor applies pressure, thus engaging (or locking) both shafts together. Yet while the design and theory behind it are solid, we rarely see them function consistently, nor would we place them in the category of an automatic locker.
Limited Slips Are Not Lockers
For all of the advancements in limited slips, they still cannot replace (or equal) a locker. Most limited slips, such as the Eaton TrueTrac (www.eaton.com) and the Auburn Gear Positraction (www.auburngear.com), use a gear or clutch engagement system to keep the wheels rotating at the same speed when power is applied. Though some are more aggressive than others and may seem to work similar to a locker in loose terrain, as soon as you enter extreme wheeling situations you find that the limited slip ultimately leaves you a one-wheel wonder like an open differential. This is mostly due to internal thresholds that keep the limited slips from completely "locking" up.
Manual (aka Selectable) Lockers
Selectable lockers are designed to give you the best of both worlds. When the locker is set to open, most act like a standard open differential, though some work similar to a limited slip. When engaged the units lock 100 percent and allow zero differentiation in axle speed between the shafts.
Unlike automatic lockers, selectable lockers require an activation source. For the ARB Air Locker (www.arbusa.com) and the Yukon Zip Locker (www.yukongear.com), an air line and small compressor are required, while the OX Locker (www.ox-usa.com) uses a cable and Auburn Gear's Ected (www.auburngear.com) is electronically actuated.
• Great for daily drivers
• Strong
• Excellent on-road characteristics
• Can increase maneuverability on- and off-road
• Higher initial cost
• More external and moving parts to contend with compared to an automatic locker
• When engaged the lockers function as spools, which can make steering difficult.
Welded Spider Gears (aka Lincoln/Miller/Hobart Lockers)
For years they've been referred to as Lincoln Lockers, but not because the welding corporation produces an off-road line of traction aids. Lincoln Locker is just slang for welded spider gears functioning as a spool. Welding an open differential's spider gears together or to the case unifies the gears to make the axleshafts rotate at the same speed. This is great for off-road-only rigs, as you can have your rig locked up in less than an hour using only a drain pan, a can of brake clean, and a welder.
• Extremely cheap
• Effective
• Not good for driving on the street
• Welding risks differential damage
• Spider gears can be difficult to weld
• Weaker than full replacement carrier
• Not recommended for front end
Spools have a great history in drag racing and have become a staple in the off-road world, especially in mud racing. These lightweight fulltime lockers are extremely aggressive when used on the street, as they allow no difference in speed between the shafts. Spools are complete carrier replacement lockers and can range in material types.
Another type of spool is the drop-in style mini spool (Randy's Ring & Pinion, www.ringpinion.com). The mini-spool is an equally aggressive traction aid that simply takes the place of your open differential's spider gears.
• Strong
• Lightweight
• Simple
• Cheap
• Very aggressive
• Not meant for highway use
• Not C-clip compatible
• Not recommended for front end
Brake Bias Traction Control
Many modern 4x4 vehicles have what's known as brake-bias traction control. These systems work by manipulating the vehicle's antilock brake system (ABS) to lock up each wheel individually when it senses that one tire is spinning much faster than the others. The idea is that by applying brake pressure to the wheel that is spinning freely, the differential will engage the other wheel(s) and will hopefully grab and move you forward. Though we're not huge fans of this type of traction control, some implementations of it are getting better, like Toyota's A-Trac system.
Open Differential
An open differential is a differential carrier fitted with a set of spider gears that allows for different axleshaft speeds. When throttle is applied, the open differential sends power to the wheel with the least resistance, which usually is the tire with the least traction. This design is sufficient on-road because it allows the tires to spin at different speeds, so when you corner and turn the vehicle there is no bind. Off-road, open diffs can usually be compensated for by driving finesse and momentum, but they ultimately limit the potential of your 4x4.
• Great for street driving
• Cheap, as most vehicles are already equipped with them
• Weaker
• Usually leaves one wheel per axle doing all the work
• No mechanism to lock shafts together


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We've got Matt Moore's t-shirt, a $100 million man, and a better last out. We've got the highlights you won't see on SportsCenter (via SunSports and SportsTimeOhio)…
Also, don't forget, you can see these screencaps during the games, along with others that don't make the cut and the animated GIFs by following me on Twitter @CorkGaines.
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